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The Manipur People Against Citizenship (Amendment) Bill 2016 (MANPAC) has announced 18-hour shutdown across the State.

The call for bandh came after the Central Government’s reported agenda to pass the contentious Citizenship (Amendment) Bill (CAB) in the ensuing Winter Session of the Parliament,

MANPAC announced total shutdown in Manipur on November 19 which has commenced from the midnight of Monday till 6 pm of Tuesday.

Series of protests against CAB have also been launched under the aegis of North East Forum for Indigenous Peoples (NEFIP).

Ahead of the total shutdown, MANPAC will stage a mass protest against the Centre’s reported plan to bring out the bill in the Parliament on Monday, the day Winter Session of the Parliament is scheduled to begin.

NEFIP president Ningthouja Lancha while addressing the media in Imphal on Sunday said series of protests will be launched by MANPAC as part of NEFIP’s campaign against the CAB.

Ningthouja condemned the Centre for its ‘attempt to pass the bill despite knowing the fact that the indigenous people of the north-eastern states are against it’.

“NEFIP will not remain silent if the BJP-led NDA government attempts to pass the bill,” he reiterated.

The NEFIP president termed CAB as ‘genocidal act’ while asserting that NEFIP will stand firm against the bill.